Traditional methods for conducting performance evaluations of academic courses are somewhat limited in that they are unable to account for both quantitative and qualitative data. For example, the data used to assess student performance in a typical industrial design course are generally complex, multi-criteria, multi-variable, and frequently vague…

These are the appendixes for the report, "What Tools Have States Developed or Adapted to Assess Schools' Implementation of a Multi-Tiered System of Supports/Response to Intervention Framework?" Most states are using a multi -tiered system of supports (MTSS) or response to intervention (RTI) framework for improving the quality of…

This document includes two technical appendices that accompany the main report, "English Learner Trajectories and Reclassification." The two appendices include: (1) Methodology; and (2) Supporting Tables and Figures. [For the full report, see ED603764.]

Since 2008, the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) has annually surveyed our nation's authorizers. Survey findings provide an annual measuring stick for those in the field of authorizing, and they help education decision makers, foundations, legislators, and researchers inform their understanding of the field of charter…

When an effective principal is at the helm of a school, students benefit. Principals play a critical role in establishing a school's climate and culture and in selecting and developing teachers, among other roles. Indeed, school leadership is second only to direct classroom teaching among school-level influences on achievement. Although there may…

aimswebPlus® is an assessment, data management, and reporting system that provides national and local performance and growth norms for the screening and progress monitoring of math and reading skills for all students in kindergarten through 8th grade. aimswebPlus uses two types of measures: (1) "curriculum-based measures" (CBMs)--brief,…

The first step in the Validity and Reliability Study summarizes the history and purpose of California's quality rating and improvement system (QRIS), reviews findings from other QRIS evaluation studies, and describes the approach to validating the system in California. The majority of this report focuses on providing context for the California…

Over the past decade, teachers have seen changes in both their conditions of employment--from pay to retirement benefits--and their practice. Far too often, these policies have been made by people who talk "about" teachers, rather than talking "to" them. Last fall, Education Sector surveyed a nationally representative random sample of more than…

Recently, the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) completed a study to connect the scale of the North Carolina State End of Grade (EOG) Testing Program used for North Carolina's mathematics and reading assessments with NWEA's Rausch Interval Unit (RIT) scale. Information from the state assessments was used in a study to establish…

The "Elementary and Secondary Education Act" ("ESEA"), as amended by the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001" inaugurated important changes in assessment and accountability for English Learner (EL) students. Specifically, Title III of the law required states to develop or adopt English-language proficiency (ELP)…

In English Language Learners' (ELLs) reclassification, the tension between assuring sufficient English language proficiency (ELP) in mainstream classrooms and avoiding potential negative consequences of protracted ELL status creates an essential dilemma. This study assesses the validity of existing systems in terms of gross consequences of…

The National Assembly on School-Based Health Care (NASBHC) surveys state public health and Medicaid offices every three years to assess state-level public policies and activities that promote the growth and sustainability of school-based health services. The FY2011 survey found 18 states (see map below) reporting investments explicitly dedicated…

The purpose of this paper is to promote clearer understanding of the graduation-rate debate by distilling the policy developments and controversy surrounding the measurement of these rates over the last decade. The paper concludes with a discussion of the move toward a federally mandated common metric for graduation rates. The No Child Left Behind…

The Center on Education Policy (CEP) analyzed trends over four years in the number of schools and school districts that did not make adequate yearly progress (AYP) in raising student achievement under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Using data from the Consolidated State Performance Reports submitted to the U.S. Department of Education by all…

Almost 40 percent of all public school students in the District of Columbia (D.C. or District) were enrolled in charter schools in the 2010-11 school year. The D.C. School Reform Act established the Public Charter School Board (PCSB) for the purpose of authorizing and overseeing charter schools. Congress required GAO (US Government Accountability…